Sines Terminal is the first in Europe to receive LNG from The United States of America

The first shipment of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Europe arrived on 26 April at the REN Atlântico facility, in Sines, on the ship Creole Spirit, carrying 170,000 m3 of LNG. The amount of LNG transported corresponds to one week of gas consumption in Portugal, or two percent of an entire year's total.

The location and characteristics of the Sines terminal make this infrastructure a privileged gateway to the European continent for American shale gas.

The Creole Spirit, which ended its maiden voyage on the 26th, was sighted at 17:30. By 21:00, the docking manoeuvres had been completed and the unloading of LNG commenced, a process that takes about 24 hours. This ship, built in 2015, is almost 300 metres long and weighs 113,000 tons.